A proposta de uma estética a partir de Spinoza e sua vinculação com a ética

Abstract

This thesis explores the possibility and nature of an aesthetics grounded in Spinoza's philosophical system. It questions how the aesthetic discipline, developed from the Spinozist system, can establish an argumentative paradigm in the context of the third kind of knowledge. The study starts from the premise that, despite the apparent limitations imposed by the Spinozist system on the conception of aesthetics, an investigation into the ontological organization of the system reveals a possibility of aesthetic understanding that aligns with and complements Spinozist ethics. Therefore, the main objective of this thesis is to examine the argumentative openings of Spinoza's system that allow for the development of aesthetics as an argumentative structure to achieve the third kind of knowledge. The research proposes that beauty, in Spinoza, is not merely a subjective or relative concept; aesthetics, when assessed from the ontological levels of substance and the progression of kinds of knowledge, enables the identification of a singular beauty property in objects, which, in turn, produces an affection called beautiful. This property, by its ontological presence, is capable of generating in humans who come into contact with it a process of activity that can lead to higher levels of understanding of God, establishing aesthetics as a complement to Spinoza's system, which aims at human freedom and beatitude. To substantiate this process, this thesis develops an exposition of Spinoza's ontological system and, from its methodological organization, investigates four complementary possibilities for grounding aesthetics through the concepts of affection, activity, love, and imagination as a symbolic apprehension of beauty. Through these concepts, an aesthetics is systematized from Spinoza's philosophy, and from it, considerations on art and creativity are made. The thesis concludes by demonstrating how aesthetics relates to ethics and complements Spinoza's system, serving as a viable alternative in the development of freedom both personally and in a social context. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]